How to Quote a Split System Install From Photos

Why split systems suit photo quoting

A single split system install is one of the most repeatable jobs in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). The scope changes from house to house, but the things that change it are the same every time: where the indoor unit goes, where the outdoor unit goes, the route between them, the power supply, and access.

Almost all of that is visible.

The old way is a phone call, then a visit to look at the wall, the outside spot and the switchboard. Plenty of those visits confirm a straightforward back-to-back install you could have priced from a few clear photos.

What to ask the customer

Start with questions, so the photos make sense when you get them. The ready-made Split System Installation form in QuoteSnap asks:

• What do you need?
• What size room?
• Is there an existing unit?
• Is there an external wall directly behind where you want the indoor unit?
• Is there a power point near the intended location?

That's a good base. Depending on how you quote, you might add:

• Which way does the room face, and does it get afternoon sun?
• Does the house have ceiling insulation, as far as they know?
• How many storeys, and which floor is the room on?
• Do they want the pipes hidden or covered with trunking?
• Is this one room, or are they thinking about more rooms later?

What photos to ask for

The ready-made form asks for three photos: indoor unit location, outdoor unit location, and the existing unit if they're replacing one. You can edit the form to add more. Two worth adding are the switchboard and the route between the units.

Sizing from photos and answers

Photos help with sizing but they don't do it for you. Use your usual heat load method with what you've got:

• Room size from the customer's answer, or ask them for a rough length and width.
• Ceiling height from a wide photo with a door frame in it for scale.
• Windows, their size and which way they face.
• Insulation, as far as the customer knows.

If the room is open plan, has a lot of glass, or the customer isn't sure about insulation, say so in your quote and give an option one size up. That's better than a unit that can't keep up in January.

Pricing the install

Break the price into parts you can adjust from the photos.

The unit

Size and brand, from the answers and your supplier pricing. If the customer has no preference, offer a couple of options at different price points.

Standard install

Your base price for a back-to-back install with a ground or bracket mount and normal access. Most of your quotes will start here.

Things that move the price

• Longer pipe run. Price per metre beyond your standard allowance, estimated from the route photos.
• Hard access. Second storey, roof space runs, or a tight side path.
• Mounting. A pad on dirt, wall brackets, or a roof-mounted outdoor unit.
• Electrical. A new circuit or any work at the board, priced by whoever holds the licence for that work.
• Finish. Trunking or hidden pipes, and the condensate drain run.

Mistakes that cost money

• Skipping the switchboard. If there's no room for a new circuit, that's extra work and maybe a separate quote. Ask for the photo every time.
• Guessing the pipe route. Back-to-back is simple. Anything else adds time and materials. If you can't see the route in the photos, ask.
• Undersizing hot rooms. A west-facing room with big windows needs more than the floor area suggests.
• Forgetting the drain. The condensate has to go somewhere sensible. Look for a garden bed or drain point in the outdoor photo.
• Quoting one room when they want three. Ask about the full scope. A multi-head system might suit them better than separate splits.

When to go and look

Photos won't cover everything. Book a visit when:

Quoting it with QuoteSnap

The ready-made Split System Installation form has the questions and the first three photo requests above, and you can edit it to add the switchboard and the route:

Send the customer the link by text or email. They answer the questions and take the photos on their phone, with nothing to download, and AI asks them to retake any photo that's blurry, too dark or not of the job. The request lands with the photos, the answers and a short summary flagging things like access or missing information.

You price it on your phone and send the quote with a list of what's included. The customer signs on the same link. On Premium you can take a deposit when they accept, and get an AI draft of the quote from the photos, answers and your past quotes, which you check before it goes.

See photo quoting for HVAC technicians. For the bigger picture on cutting quote visits, read why tradies are swapping quote visits for photo quoting.

The short version

• Ask what they need, the room size, and whether they want more rooms done
• Get the indoor wall, the outdoor spot, the route and the switchboard
• Read the existing unit's label yourself
• Size it with your usual method and offer one size up when unsure
• Price the unit, the standard install and the extras separately
• Write your assumptions into the quote
• Book a visit for ducted, commercial, unclear routes or possible asbestos